“We remember one girl in particular, we couldn’t even make eye contact with her when we first visited her at school – yet her ideas were fantastic. She just needed support to get the creation to a point that she could continue on her own and WOW what an achievement! The next year she didn’t need our support – we are so proud of her achievements. And best of all, she now looks us in the eye with confidence.”

“Upon visiting another school, we found groups of girls working together to create an entry. Their team building was awesome! At the end of that year, we were invited to attend the school’s end of year function because we were told that entering the Awards had had a positive effect on this group. They were turning up to school on a regular basis, whereas prior they had been missing several days in a week. The fact that taking part in the Awards had given inspiration to groups was thrilling for us. As we listened to each achiever speak, every one of them mentioned how entering the Rotorua Wearable Creations ‘n Colour Awards was one of their major achievements of the year.”

TRUST HISTORY
something else

When a group of South African orphans and musicians were left stranded in New Zealand after a performing programme went wrong, three local event enthusiasts put together an event called ‘Buskaid.’

With the support of local businesses, the tourism industry, and the young people from our schools, the ‘Buskaid’ event, a wearable arts style fashion show complete with stunning performances by the music troupe, was embraced by a full house. Out of the darkness came light … and a whole lot of colour as the whole New Zealand experience was turned into something positive for this special group of young people.

So that got them thinking…

If they could pull off something like this for young people from half a world away, surely they can do something just as spectacular for our own young people, and so the Rotorua Wearable Creations ‘n Colour Awards was began in 2003.

Organised by the Rotorua Creative Art Trust, the event has become a vehicle to showcase the talent of many of the young people in our community. It helps them improve self-esteem and build confidence.

Empowering young people …

Seeing our young people reach their full potential brings its own rewards. From the time they decide to take the plunge and use their creative abilities in putting their entry together, to the end result. Whether they’re part of the creation and construction team, or whether they go all the way and model it themselves, it’s their personal growth we all love to see.

While many young people were keen to create and construct their wearable art, many thought they would not be able to get up on that stage and have their peers watch them strut their stuff.

Making a difference in their world …